they were indeed jokes

First, a “hello” and “how are ya” to everyone. I’m new here (and currently stumbling around the setup for posting, but making progress).

I’m really glad I did something interesting (at least in my estimation) this weekend, because I have something interesting (again, my estimation) to blog for the first time about.
Demetri Martin “These are Jokes” at the Lakeshore Theatre Saturday night. The 9 o’clock show. All of the shows (3 originally, but 2 more were added when the first 3 sold out) were recorded for a CD, and it was also Demetri’s first visit to Chicago.

The tickets were General admission, which means my ass insisted on getting there early, and it’s a good thing, too, because my boyfriend and I were first in line. The owners of the Lakeshore (who’ve had it for 3 years and are unsure of what direction to take it) were walking around and offered us beers for being the first there for the 9 show. I took a coke, my date took a beer.

As the line filled, some really rowdy college kids came in (and I say this with caution because I’m sure there have been times when I’ve been the rowdy college kid in public) and were clearly drunk. Not “oh, I assume they’re drunk because they’re acting like assholes” kind of clearly, the “they’re holding a bottle of Jagermeister under their shirt” clearly. And they were, of course, being loud. And this was a problem because, well, the show that was going on on the other side of the wall we were all standing against was being recorded. So, the owners told them to shush like they were children, and then they began acting like children, and turned the shushing into a game of “let’s get loud and then shush each other.”

We staked out some seats front row center, and I gave myself an invisible pat on the back for being anal about arriving on time everywhere. The drunks… yeah, they sat next to us. which would’ve been fine; drunks in public=entertainment. But we were, indeed, out somewhere with the intention to be entertained already. But they were good for some nice pre-show laughs.

Leo Allen came out as the opener, and was fantastic. But, in true drunk form, the drunks starting hazing him, and so Leo, using what he had, started in on them, giving them a well deserved teasing. When they only got louder, he chastised for being loud and disruptive, and Demetri came out and had some words (kind, but trimmed in “shut the fuck up”). Needless to say, they cut it out.

The show was amazing. This was my first comedy show, so I don’t have much to base it on, but I do watch a lot of Comedy Central (which I know says very little about me as a person, so please, don’t point it out), and by comparison: marvelous. Not just because I was there, either. He’s just a really great performer, and plays on the audience really well. Example: “Hair gel allows us to point out assholes from a distance…sorry guys.” Yes, that was indeed aimed at the drunks.

Not to mention, having his grandmother introduce the show: very cute.

My favorite line of the show:
“I went to get my hair cut before I came here, back in New York, and I said ‘Just a trim.’ And instead I got Gay Beatle. Or at least a very experimental George.”

Usually, I’m not this “stiff” when I write. I’m just nervous; first post jitters. But I’m happy to be here, contributing. The posts will get less…stuffy. I promise.